Rite of Passage: The Music Man
For Sam Desoto (CFA’19), family is “the cornerstone of who I am”
Sam Desoto (CFA’19) with his saxophone at his home in Shirley, N.Y. “Music has been the most beautiful thing in my life,” he says. “I can’t wait to be surrounded by music people—to perform and learn about music every single day.”
BU recently welcomed 3,625 freshmen, each with a unique journey to campus. Photojournalist Jackie Ricciardi wanted to capture them as they prepared to launch this new chapter. So over the summer, she traveled from Minnesota to New York to Boston’s suburbs to photograph several members of the Class of 2019. They welcomed her into their homes and shared their dreams, fears, and the ways their families have shaped their lives. Parents spoke candidly about their anxieties and aspirations for their children. In our series “Rite of Passage,” BU Today brings you four students’ stories.
Sam Desoto describes himself as “a loud ball of happiness” who loves spending time with people. His other love? Music. He picked up the saxophone at age 10. An accomplished musician, he can also play the piano and the ukulele. Enrolled in the College of Fine Arts School of Music, the Long Island native is majoring in voice performance and hopes to one day teach music to elementary, junior high, or high school students.
“Music has been the most beautiful thing in my life,” says Desoto (CFA’19), “and I’d like nothing more than to share it with others by teaching it and performing it.”
He is the youngest of four boys—all of whom still live at home—in a close-knit family. In fact, he even wrote his college essay about his brothers. He is especially close to his brother Andrew, 21, who has Asperger’s syndrome. “I easily call him my best friend,” Desoto says. “He’s always so caring and enthusiastic that I love spending time with him.”
Sam in his room just before leaving for BU, where he’s studying voice performance. “Everybody has their cards to bring to the table, and my cards are my family, my friends, and my music. I’m excited to see what everyone else has to bring and excited to learn about everyone and everything, because that’s what I love doing.”
“The house is going to be quiet,” says Marie Desoto, Sam’s mother, after Sam leaves for college. “Sam makes the house noisy. There’s always singing or humming or tapping in the background. You don’t even hear it anymore when you live here.”
On Vocal Craft
“ It delves into everything about music and how beautiful it is.”
Sam Desoto
Audio — 33 Seconds
The tight-knit Desoto family gathers around the kitchen table for a game of Scrabble. Sam is the youngest of four boys and says his family has sacrificed a lot for him over the years. “My family has been the cornerstone of who I am,” he says. “I’m going to miss them a lot.”
Sam and his brother Andrew play with light swords outside their home. Andrew has Asperger’s syndrome, which sometimes makes social interaction and communication difficult for him. “Andrew is my best friend,” Sam says. “I love spending time with him. He’s always so caring and enthusiastic.”
A last-minute lesson in ironing before heading off to college. “When you’re the youngest in a family, where a lot of people look out for you, people tend to pick up your slack,” Marie Desoto says. “I’m concerned about the small things he will need to learn.”
On Missing his Family
“Those moments [with] my family have made me who I am.”
Sam Desoto
Audio — 27 Seconds
Sam’s mother sent him and the rest of the family out to explore the campus while she unpacked and set up Sam’s dorm room for him. “My mom is amazing,” Sam says. “Everything was done when we came back.”
Sam and his dad perform a little corridor slapstick at move-in. “As much as we tell him we despise his puns and jokes,” Sam says, “I’m definitely going to miss that about my dad.”
On Going to BU
“ I’m going to love it to death. It’s going to be so scary, but I’m going to love that.”
Sam Desoto
Audio — 34 Seconds
Sam says good-bye to his mom before his family returns home to Long Island.
Sam takes a moment outside of Claflin Hall after saying good-bye to his family. “You can prepare for things like making sure you know what you’re doing in class and making sure you’re organized, but the one thing I don’t think anyone can prepare you for is leaving home,” he says.
This Series
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Rite of Passage
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November 17, 2016
Rite of Passage 2016: Accepting Limitations
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November 11, 2016
Rite of Passage 2016: A Desire to Help Others
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October 31, 2016
Rite of Passage 2016: Transforming Loss into Passion
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